Revealed: The US Military Has A New Technology Straight Out Of A Superhero Movie

Will the U.S. military soon employ Iron Man-like technology on some of its front line units?

General Joe Votel, Commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, stated in a CNN interview that such armor is getting closer to becoming a reality for American soldiers.

The Tactical Assault Light Operator Suit, or TALOS, will feature liquid armor that can solidify upon command. It would be a battery-powered exoskeleton, capable of giving soldiers the protection they need on the battlefield. It would also reduce strain on the body and provide in-helmet technologies to improve communications and visibility.

Referring to front-line operators, General Joe Votel said that the objective would be, “To give that operator the advantage when he is most vulnerable.”

Votel also said: “This is a program that we started after we lost an operator on a mission. The first guy coming into a particular building was engaged and unfortunately was mortally wounded. And in the wake of that, we asked ourselves, ‘Couldn’t we do better in terms of protecting him, of giving him a better advantage when he’s at the most vulnerable point that we put our operators?'”

Navy Cmdr. Anthony Baker, the head of JATF- TALOS, speaking to reporters at the 2015 Special Operations Forces Industry Conference, said: “We have powered exoskeletons on contract being developed; the foundation is the exoskeleton. All I can say is ‘we are shooting for the vision,’ which calls for ‘increased armor protection, increased situational awareness, increased lethality, increased human performance.'”

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He added: “It’s a very ambitious vision. There are a number of theories we are working on that are making significant progress.”

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Matt Allen said the Defense Department does “not know how much TALOS will cost,” but a report cited by former Oklahoma Republican Sen. Tom Coburn in his 2014 Wastebook put the price at $80 million.

This is less expensive than other similar military programs, many of which have cost hundreds of millions of dollars to develop.

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